Gov. Maura Healey has asked the Group Insurance Commission not to increase co-pays and deductibles for the health care plans used by public employees. We have canceled rallies planned for Tuesday, Feb. 24, in Springfield and Boston. We are moving ahead with a message to the GIC about maintaining coverage for GLP-1 medications used for weight management, which is set to end. There is more work to be done, but you earned a major victory today.
In response to Gov. Maura Healey’s decision to no longer seek drastic spikes in most of the out-of-pocket health care costs for public employees, the Massachusetts Teachers Association is canceling two rallies that had been scheduled for Tuesday in Boston and Springfield. The union, however, is urging the state to continue coverage of GLP-1 medications for weight management, which is set to end.
The governor withdrew her call to shift more costs to workers who are covered by the Group Insurance Commission, which offers health care coverage used by roughly 460,000 state and municipal employees, retirees and their families. The GIC was considering changes to insurance plans that would have resulted in higher copays and deductibles for working families, who already will be paying for their portion of annual premium increases.
The GIC is poised to act Thursday on a recommendation that plans for public employees no longer cover GLP-1 medications, when solely used for weight loss.
MTA President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy issued the following statement:
“Stopping the harmful increases in the copays and deductibles that public sector workers would have had to sustain under health care cost shifts proposed by the governor is a huge victory. Thousands of MTA members were among those sending messages to the governor, GIC commission and state legislators urging them not to balance the state budget on the backs of workers. We appreciate the governor’s willingness to listen to those affected by her decisions and to reconsider proposals, like this one, that would have had a negative impact on so many families.
“Had these cost shifts been adopted, it is likely that every municipal employee would have felt the impact since cities and towns that do not belong to the GIC use the commission as a benchmark for setting their own insurance plan costs.
“Health care in this country is broken, but asking public employees to pay more is not the solution. Instead, workers and policymakers need to work together to come up with solutions to address the health care affordability crisis – starting with reining in pharmaceutical companies and other health care providers who are raking in record profits from our members and the Commonwealth. In that light, MTA members will continue to fight for affordable access to GLP-1 medications that have been life changing for so many people.”
governor withdraws proposal MTA members mobiliize against health care proposal MTA urges governor to cancel health care increases
About the Governor's Proposal
BOSTON @ 11:30 a.m. Rally at the State House.
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SPRINGFIELD @ 4 p.m. Rally at the Governor’s Western Mass. office, 436 Dwight St., Suite 300.
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Nearly 500,000 public sector workers and retirees are covered by Group Insurance Commission plans, including tens of thousands of MTA members and their families. Even if you are not directly covered by GIC health insurance, municipalities and towns often follow the GIC’s lead. If GIC costs increase, health care costs likely will increase for every insured public employee in Massachusetts.
The members of the Group Insurance Commission were scheduled to vote on the governor's proposal on Feb. 12, but made the decision to delay following an outpouring of concern from public sector workers. We need to continue to make the case against these significant cost shifts.
Here are three ways that you can take action:
State legislators, senators and state representatives, have been urging Gov. Healey to fully fund the Group Insurance Commission rather than shift health care costs on to public employees. By clicking this link, Urge Your Legislators to Oppose GIC Cost Shifts you can see if your state representative and senator have signed on to the letter sent to the governor, and if not, you can urge them to do so.
Urge Your Legislators to Oppose GIC cost shifts
Call Gov. Healey and let her know that she cannot balance the state budget on the backs of public employees. Her proposal to have the Group Insurance Commission initiate plan design changes could mean higher co-pays, higher deductibles, and the elimination of GLP-1 medications for weight management. Let her know how such changes would affect you and your family, while yielding minimal savings for the state.
(617) 725-4005
(413) 784-1200
Toll free in Massachusetts: (888) 870-7770
TTY: (617) 727-3666
SCRIPT FOR CALLING THE GOVERNOR
TEMPLATES: WRITE A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR
SCRIPTS FOR TEN-MINUTE MEETINGS
OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED CHANGES TO GIC INSURANCE & PLANS TO FIGHT BACK
The governor’s proposal to underfund the health insurance you receive through the state’s Group Insurance Commission plans will shift health care costs to YOU and your fellow public sector workers by raising out-of-pocket insurance costs. This ultimately will affect ALL public sector workers, regardless of GIC coverage.
Governor Healey is considering possibilities such as:
Additional cost increases are posted here.
Nearly 500,000 public sector workers and retirees are covered by GIC plans, including tens of thousands of MTA members and their families. Even if you are not directly covered by GIC health insurance, municipalities and towns often follow the GIC’s lead. If GIC costs increase, health care costs likely will increase for every insured public employee in Massachusetts.
Public workers already are stretched to their financial limits. For decades, educators, firefighters and other public servants have been asked to do more with less. Families have already been hit with double-digit increases in insurance premiums. The proposed health care increases are an unethical and untenable burden on all public workers who serve the Commonwealth.